The "ot Church"

[Archbishop 10-K]

Okay, maybe "church" isn't the best word, but what are the similarities between the OT (Old Testament) Temple system and priesthood, and the NT Catholic Church? For example, I know both the OT Jewish clergy and Catholic clergy wear ecclesial vestments like the mitre, had/have a sacred dead language (Hebrew, Latin), and some other things. Was the OT high-priest anything like the Pope? Was going to the synagogue like going to Mass? Was there a "Pontifical High Mass" in the Temple at Jerusalem? I also heard that the Israelites confessed their sins to a priest during a sacrifice. Is it possible that the Catholic Church resembles OT Judaism more than modern Judaism does? I'm very curious now.

[Hananiah]

Good insight. Yes, modern day Catholicism is closer to Biblical Judaism than is Rabbinic Judaism. Worship in both biblical Judaism and Catholicism is centered on liturgy and sacrifice. Offering sacrifice is the supreme form of adoration of God. Moreover, in both cases final authority is in the hands of a priestly hierarchy. Modern day Judaism is reduced to a religion of the book, like Protestantism.

[phatcatholic]

the OT paralells to the Sacrifice of the Mass are particularly compelling:

[b](a). Foreshadowing of the Eucharistic Sacrifice[/b]
Gen. 14:18 - this is the first time that the word "priest" is used in Old Testament. Melchizedek is both a priest and a king and he offers a bread and wine sacrifice to God.

Psalm 76:2 - Melchizedek is the king of Salem. Salem is the future Jeru-salem where Jesus, the eternal priest and king, established his new Kingdom and the Eucharistic sacrifice which He offered under the appearance of bread and wine.

Psalm 110:4 - this is the prophecy that Jesus will be the eternal priest and king in the same manner as this mysterious priest Melchizedek. This prophecy requires us to look for an eternal bread and wine sacrifice in the future. This prophecy is fulfilled only by the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Catholic Church.

Malachi 1:11 - this is a prophecy of a pure offering that will be offered in every place from the rising of the sun to its setting. Thus, there will be only one sacrifice, but it will be offered in many places around the world. This prophecy is fulfilled only by the Catholic Church in the Masses around the world, where the sacrifice of Christ which transcends time and space is offered for our salvation. If this prophecy is not fulfilled by the Catholic Church, then Malachi is a false prophet.

Exodus 12:14,17,24 - we see that the feast of the paschal lamb is a perpetual ordinance. It lasts forever. But it had not yet been fulfilled.

Jer. 33:18 - God promises that His earthly kingdom will consist of a sacrificial priesthood forever. This promise has been fulfilled by the priests of the Catholic Church, who sacramentally offer the sacrifice of Christ from the rising of the sun to its setting in every Mass around the world.

Zech. 9:15-16 - this is a prophecy that the sons of Zion, which is the site of the establishment of the Eucharistic sacrifice, shall drink blood like wine and be saved. This prophecy is fulfilled only by the priests of the Catholic Church.

2 Chron. 26:18 - only validly consecrated priests will be able to offer the sacrifice to God. The Catholic priests of the New Covenant trace their sacrificial priesthood to Christ.


[b](b). Foreshadowing of the Requirement to Consume the Sacrifice[/b]
Gen. 22:9-13 - God saved Abraham's first-born son on Mount Moriah with a substitute sacrifice which had to be consumed. This foreshadowed the real sacrifice of Israel's true first-born son (Jesus) who must be consumed.

Exodus 12:5 - the paschal lamb that was sacrificed and eaten had to be without blemish. Luke 23:4,14; John 18:38 - Jesus is the true paschal Lamb without blemish.

Exodus 12:7,22-23 - the blood of the lamb had to be sprinkled on the two door posts. This paschal sacrifice foreshadows the true Lamb of sacrifice and the two posts of His cross on which His blood was sprinkled.

Exodus 12:8,11 - the paschal lamb had to be eaten by the faithful in order for God to "pass over" the house and spare their first-born sons. Jesus, the true paschal Lamb, must also be eaten by the faithful in order for God to forgive their sins.

Exodus 12:43-45; Ezek. 44:9 - no one outside the "family of God" shall eat the lamb. Non-Catholics should not partake of the Eucharist until they are in full communion with the Church.

Exodus 12:49 - no uncircumcised person shall eat of the lamb. Baptism is the new circumcision for Catholics, and thus one must be baptized in order to partake of the Lamb.

Exodus 12:47; Num. 9:12 - the paschal lamb's bones could not be broken. John 19:33 - none of Jesus' bones were broken.

Exodus 16:4-36; Neh 9:15 - God gave His people bread from heaven to sustain them on their journey to the promised land. This foreshadows the true bread from heaven which God gives to us at Mass to sustain us on our journey to heaven.

Exodus 24:9-11 - the Mosaic covenant was consummated with a meal in the presence of God. The New and eternal Covenant is consummated with the Eucharistic meal - the body and blood of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine.

Exodus 29:33 - they shall eat those things with which atonement was made. Jesus is the true Lamb of atonement and must now be eaten.

Lev. 7:15 - the Aaronic sacrifices absolutely had to be eaten in order to restore communion with God. These sacrifices all foreshadow the one eternal sacrifice which must also be eaten to restore communion with God. This is the Eucharist (from the Greek word "eukaristia" which means "thanksgiving").

Lev. 17:11,14 - in the Old Testament, we see that the life of the flesh is the blood which could never be drunk. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ's blood is the source of new life, and now must be drunk.

Gen. 9:4-5; Deut.12:16,23-24 - in these verses we see other prohibitions on drinking blood, yet Jesus commands us to drink His blood because it is the true source of life.

2 Kings 4:43 - this passage foreshadows the multiplication of the loaves and the true bread from heaven which is Jesus Christ.

2 Chron. 30:15-17; 35:1,6,11,13; Ezek. 6:20-21- the lamb was killed, roasted and eaten to atone for sin and restore communion with God. This foreshadows the true Lamb of God who was sacrificed for our sin and who must now be consumed for our salvation.

Psalm 78:24-25; 105:40 - the raining of manna and the bread from angels foreshadows the true bread from heaven, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53:7 - this verse foreshadows the true Lamb of God who was slain for our sins and who must be consumed.

Wis. 16:20 - this foreshadows the true bread from heaven which will be suited to every taste. All will be welcome to partake of this heavenly bread, which is Jesus Christ.

Sir. 24:21 - God says those who eat Him will hunger for more, and those who drink Him will thirst for more.

Ezek. 2:8-10; 3:1-3 - God orders Ezekiel to open his mouth and eat the scroll which is the Word of God. This foreshadows the true Word of God, Jesus Christ, who must be consumed.

Zech. 12:10 - this foreshadows the true first-born Son who was pierced for the sins of the inhabitants of the new Jerusalem.

Zech. 13:1 - on the day of piercing, a fountain (of blood and water) will cleanse the sins of those in the new House of David.


personally, i see in the Eucharist the greatest, most compelling fulfillment of OT worship and sacrifice.

pax christi,
phatcatholic

[crusader1234]

Phat we went over that in Religion this year and I think you covered just about everything

As for similarities, there are lots. The thing is, most things were simply replaced by Jesus. He became the new Temple and the new sacrifice.

The Temple was sort of like the Church.... the Tabernacle like the Holy of Holies, stuff like that/

Oh, and Hebrew isn't a dead language.

I'll say more another day when I have a clearer mind. Sorry if this was vague.

Peace,

Rich

[qfnol31]

I know a cool parallel is where Jesus washes the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper. When the priests handed the responsibility of their office on to others, they would wash their feet. What Jesus did was he demonstrated the passing on His mission to his disciples, which is an incredible gift!

[Archbishop 10-K]

[quote]Oh, and Hebrew isn't a dead language.
[/quote]

I was under the impression that by the time of Christ, Hebrew was a dead language while Greek and Aramaic were the vernacular; and that Hebrew was revived back into a living language during/after the Zionist movement.

[Archbishop 10-K]

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On the above, I forgot to mention that I was also under the impression that the Biblical Jews used Hebrew in their liturgies, texts, and generally as an eccleiastical language, the same way Catholics use Latin, and perhaps the same way Muslims use Arabic.